Air India is reportedly planning to roll out a health and fitness compliance rule for its cabin crew, under which staff found to be underweight, overweight or obese may face consequences such as de-rostering and potential loss of pay.
The compliance assessment will be based on the cabin crew members’ Body Mass Index (BMI) with a reading between 18-24.9 classified as ‘normal’ and considered the ‘desired range’ by the airline.
The initiative, which forms part of the carrier’s ‘Cabin Crew Health and Fitness Compliance Policy’, is set to come into effect from May 1, 2026, news agency PTI reported it first.
Aim of the initiative
The carrier confirmed the reports, saying “We have introduced a policy promoting awareness around healthy lifestyles and providing guidance on maintaining appropriate fitness levels.”
“It is intended to support crew members in sustaining long-term health while being fully prepared for the operational demands of their role and is in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) BMI classifications,” Air India told Mint in an official statement.
How does the policy work?
Outlining the policy’s processes, the airline said it includes periodic checks and guidance, while ensuring employee welfare.
“Air India has programs in place around nutrition, wellness, mental health, fatigue management and exercise to help cabin crew members manage their health optimally,” it noted.
The carrier further stressed that fitness is intrinsically linked to safety and performance. “Ensuring that cabin crew are physically capable of handling critical onboard situations is a key priority for the airline.”
BMI criteria for the crew — explained
A BMI reading of less than 18 will be considered as ‘underweight’, though it may be acceptable subject to clearing of medical evaluation and functional assessment.
According to the policy accessed by the news agency, a BMI reading of less than 18 will be classified as ‘underweight’, though it may still be considered acceptable if the cabin crew member clears a medical evaluation and functional assessment.
Meanwhile, a BMI reading in the range of 25-29.9 will be categorised as ‘overweight’ and will be considered acceptable, provided the cabin crew member passes the required functional assessment.
However, a BMI reading of 30 or above will be classifief as ‘obese’ and will not fall within the acceptable range under the policy.
Consequences of lapses
For those who fail to meet the BMI criteria, will be subjected to certain consequences. A cabin crew member will be de-rostered if he or she is found to be either ‘underweight’ or ‘overweight’ and will mandatorily require to clear the functional assessment.
In case the member fails to pass the assessment, then he or she will be placed on loss of pay till the clearance happens, the policy said.
Meanwhile, for cabin crew members who are found ‘obese’, the immediate action will include de-rostering and loss of pay. Such people will have to achieve the acceptable BMI within a certain number of days.
Loss-making Air India, which was acquired by the Tata Group in January 2022, will take corrective actions against the obese cabin crew members for failure to meet the BMI parameters, according to the report.
(with inputs from agency)
